Game apparatus

ABSTRACT

Game apparatus including a base having side members extending therefrom pivotally supporting a plurality of consecutively numbered rockers, the base having an upper surface with two bores therein for storing dice and a back rest extending from the rear edge thereof, the rockers having a turned down position with the front surfaces thereof engaging the upper surface of the base and the rear surfaces thereof aligned with the top surfaces of the side members and having an upright position resting against the back rest.

United States Patent [191 Barrett [111 3,747,934 [451 July 24, 1973 GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Gilbert R. Barrett, 4492 Redman,

Apt. N, Omaha, Nebr. 68111 22 Filed: Sept. 1, 1971 211 App]. No.: 176,977

[52] US. Cl. 273/135 E, 40/104.02 [51] Int. Cl. A63t 3/00 [58] Field of Search 273/135 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 1,122,894 12/1914 Fisher 273/135 E UX 1,466,534 8/1923 Kuen 273/135 E UX FOREIGN PATENTSOR APPLICATIONS 304,440 1/1929 Great Britain 273/135 E 604,005 1/1926 France 273/135 E Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney-Sherman and Shalloway [57] ABSTRACT Game apparatus including a base having side members extending therefrom pivotally supporting a plurality of consecutively numbered rockers, the base having an upper surface with two bores therein for storing dice and a back rest extending from the rear edge thereof, the rockers having a turned down position with the front surfaces thereof engaging the upper surface of the base and the rear surfaces thereof aligned with the top surfaces of the side members and having an upright position resting against the back rest.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures GAME APPARATUS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The game apparatus of the present invention is illus- The present invention pertains to games and more trated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and includes a base having particularly to apparatus for playing games of an educational nature.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art Games requiring the use of mental faculties are beneficial from an educational standpoint for children in that if such games are enjoyable, the child may increase basic skills while playing the game without realizing the educational value thereof. Thus, many simple games have been provided in the past which require a player to utilize mathematical skills and the simplest of such games normally utilize dice. The dice are educational in nature in that the dots on any face thereof must be counted to determine the number represented thereby, and further the numbers rolled on a pair of dice must be added to provide a total.

Apparatus for playing games utilizing a pair of dice which are rolled to determine which of a plurality of numbers may be turned down are well known; however, such apparatus as known are not attractively constructed and arenot constructed so as to be easily stored and transported.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to construct game apparatus for use with a pair of dice which has aesthetic appeal and when not in use has a generally rectangular configuration to facilitate storage and transportation.

The present invention is generally characterized in game apparatus including a base having an uppersurface, a pair of side members extending from sides of the base, and a plurality of consecutively numbered rockerspivotally supported between theside members,

each of the rockers having a front surface for engaging the upper surface of the'base when the rockers are in a turned down position and a rear surface aligned with top surfaces of the side members when the rockers are in the turned down position.

Another object of the, present invention is to provide storage recesses for dice in a game apparatus, which recesses are covered by rockers-when the game is not in use.

A further object of the present invention is to construct a plurality of consecutively numbered rockers which have dimensions corresponding to side members and a back rest extending from a base such that when the rockers are in a turned down position the game apparatus has a generally rectangular configuration.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the game apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the game apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the rockers of the game apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

a generally rectangular configuration with front and rear parallel surfaces 12 and 14, respectively, and parallel side surfaces 16 and 18. arranged orthogonally with the front and rear surfaces. A bottom 20 of base 10 has a smooth flat surface with beveled recesses therein to accommodate the heads of screws 21 for securing the game structure together such that the heads of the screws do not protrude from the bottom 20 of base 10. t

The top of base 10 has shoulders 22 and 24' formed there-on adjacent side surfaces 16 and 18 and a shoulder 25 formed thereon adjacent rear surface 14. A channel 26 having a surface aligned with shoulders 22, 24 and 25 extends longitudinally along the base 10 parallel with front and rear surfaces 12 and 14 to define a rear rib 26 having an upper surface aligned with a planar upper surface of a platform28 disposed along the front edge of the base 10. Platform 28 has bores 29 and 30 centrally disposed therein to receive a pair of dice 31 with which the game is to be played. Thedepth and diameter of the bores 29 and 30 correspond to the dimensions of the dice such that the dice fit snugly therein with the top surface of the dice aligned with the upper surface of platform 28.

A back rest 32 is positioned at the rear edge of'base 10 on shoulder 25 with its outer surface aligned with rear surface 14 and its lower inner edge abutting rib 26, and back rest 32 has a generally rectangular configuration with an inner, upper corner 34 longitudinally disposed along base 10. A pair ofrectangular side members 36 and 38 are disposed on shoulders 22 and 24, re-

spectively, and have external surfaces aligned with the front, rear and side surfaces of base 10. Side members 36 and 38 have bores 40 therein, respectively, in order to receive a rod 44 and position the rod in alignment with channel 26.

Nine rockers 46 are carried on rod 44, and each rocker 46 has a number engraved thereon with the numbers ranging from 1 to 9, consecutively. The rockers 46 are square in cross section and have side beveled edges at the top with front and rear beveled edges at the bottom, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The bottom of each of the rockers 46 is bored to receive a bushing 48 which has a bore with a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of rod 44 in order to permit the rockers to pivot or rock about the rod. The bushings extend slightly from the sides of the rockers in order to space the rockers from each other to assure nonsticking individual movement thereof.

The axis of rod 44 is spaced from back rest 32 by a distance greater than the distance between the rear edges of the rockers and the axes of bushings 48 carried thereby such that when the rockers are placed in an upright position, as illustrated by rockers 46a and 46b in FIG. 2, they will rest against corner 34 to be maintained in the substantially upright position. The dimensions of the rockers correspond to the spacing between'platform 28 and the top surfaces of back rest 32 and side members 36 and 38 such that when the rockers are pivoted to their closed position the rear surfaces of the rockers are aligned with the upper surface of the back rest and the side members.

The bores 29 and 30 for receiving the playing dice are positioned such that two of the rockers 46 cover the same; and, accordingly, at least two rockers must be placed in their upright position in order to permit removal of a die from its storage bore. Thus, the game apparatus, when in its closed state, has a substantially rectangular smooth configuration, and the dice are prevented from inadvertent removal from the bores by accidental movement of only one of the rockers.

The channel 26 is positioned directly below the rod 44 in order to accommodate pivoting of the rockers 46. Thus, when a rocker is placed in its down position, the front surface thereof will rest on platform 28 with the channel 26 permitting the pivoting movement of the rocker.

While many games may be played with the game apparatus of the present invention, one game the apparatus is particularly suited to implement is played as follows: The dice are rolled by a player and the numbers represented thereon are determined; either the combination by addition of the numbers rolled on the dice or the individual numbers rolled on each die may be utilized to turn down similarly numbered rockers 46; and

the winner is determined by the player who is able to turn down all of the numbers in the fewest number of rolls of the dice. For instance, if a player rolls the dice to indicate a three and a six, the player has the choice of either turning down a nine, which corresponds to the addition of three and six, or turning down both a three and a six. The player continues to roll the dice until all of the rockers have been turned down at which time a second player may return all of the rockers to their initial position in order to replay the game.

The above described game to be played with the apparatus of the present invention, thus, requires the use of mathematical and deductive logic in determining which rockers to turn down and, therefore, is educational in nature. The educational benefits to be obtained from the game apparatus of the present invention may further be increased by slightly modifying the above described game such that a player has the choice of turning down any two numbers which equal the total of the numbers rolled on the dice.

The unique structure of the game apparatus of the present invention provides a generally smooth rectangular configuration when the rockers are placed in their turned down position in that the distance between the flat top of the rockers and the center of the bores therethrough is equal to the distance between the rod and the front edge of the base and the distance from the front and rear surface of the rockers is equal to the spacing between the top surfaces of the side members and theback rest and the upper surface of the platform of the base. Thus, with the rockers in the turned down position the tops thereof are aligned with the front surface of the base and the. rear surfaces thereof are aligned with the top surfaces of the side members and the back rest. I

The game apparatus of the present invention may be attractively constructed of wood with the consecutive numerals placed on the rockers by engraving the wood and then painting the recessed engraved areas. While the game apparatus of the present invention, when made of wood, presents an aesthetically appealing and relatively heavy structure, the game apparatus may also be constructed by many conventional methods and of any suitable materials. For instance, in order to decrease costs, the game apparatus may be economically integrally formed of plastic.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all matter described above or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. Game apparatus comprising a base having an upper surface and first and second sides; first and second side members extending from said first and second sides, respectively, of said base and having top surfaces spaced above said upper surface; a plurality of consecutively numbered rockers; support means pivotally mounting said plurality of rockers between said first and second side members, each of said rockers having a front surface and a rear surface, the distance between said front and rear surfaces being equal to the distance between said upper surface and said top surfaces of said first and second side members, said rockers being pivotal to a turned down position with said front surfaces engaging said upper surface of said base such that said rear surfaces of said rockers are aligned with said top surfaces of said first and second side members;and recess means formed in said base adapted to store dice, said recess means being positioned so as to be covered by said rockers in said turned down position.

2. The game apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said base has a rear edge, and further comprising a back rest extending from said rear edge and having a top surface aligned with said top surfaces of said side members and an inner edge rearwardly spaced from said support means, said rockers being pivotal to an upright position resting on said inner edge.

3. The game apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said rockers each have bores near the bottom thereof and said support means includes a rod supported by said side members in parallel with said upper surface of said base, said rod extending through said bores to pivotally support said rockers.

4. The game apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said upper surface of said base has a channel formed therein spaced below and aligned with said rod, said channel having a depth to permit pivoting of said rockers between said upright and turned down positions.

5. The game apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said base has a front edge, each of said rockers has a top spaced from said rod, and said rod is spaced from said front edge by a distance equal to the distance between said rocker tops and said rod whereby said rocker tops are aligned with said front edge of said base when said rockers are in said turned down position.

6. The game apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said recess means includes first and second bores aligned with said rockers such that at least two of said rockers cover each of said bores.

7. The game apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein each of said rockers includes a bushing disposed in said bore to receive said rod, each of said bushings extending beyond said bore in order to space said rockers from each other.

8. The game apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said upper surface of said base has a channel formed therein spaced below and aligned with said support means, said channel having a depth to permit pivoting of said rockers.

it t i i t 

1. Game apparatus comprising a base having an upper surface and first and second sides; first and second side members extending from said first and second sides, respectively, of said base and having top surfaces spaced above said upper surface; a plurality of consecutively numbered rockers; support means pivotally mounting said plurality of rockers between said first and second side members, each of said rockers having a front surface and a rear surface, the distance between said front and rear surfaces being equal to the distance between said upper surface and said top surfaces of said first and second side members, said rockers being pivotal to a turned down position with said front surfaces engaging said upper surface of said base such that said rear surfaces of said rockers are aligned with said top surfaces of said first and second side members;and recess means formed in said base adapted to store dice, said recess means being positioned so as to be covered by said rockers in said turned down position.
 2. The game apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said base has a rear edge, and further comprising a back rest extending from said rear edge and having a top surface aligned with said top surfaces of said side members and an inner edge rearwardly spaced from said support means, said rockers being pivotal to an upright position resting on said inner edge.
 3. The game apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said rockers each have bores near the bottom thereof and said support means includes a rod supported by said side members in parallel with said upper surface of said base, said rod extending through said bores to pivotally support said rockers.
 4. The game apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said upper surface of said base has a channel formed therein spaced below and aligned with said rod, said channel having a depth to permit pivoting of said rockers between said upright and turned down positions.
 5. The game apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said base has a front edge, each of said rockers has a top spaced from said rod, and said rod is spaced from said front edge by a distance equal to the distance between said rocker tops and said rod whereby said rocker tops are aligned with said front edge of said base when said rockers are in said turned down position.
 6. The game apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said recess means includes first and second bores aligned with said rockers such that at least two of said rockers cover each of said bores.
 7. The game apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein each of said rockers includes a bushing disposed in said bore to receive said rod, each of said bushings extending beyond said bore in order to space said rockers from each other.
 8. The game apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said upper surface of said base has a channel formed therein spaced below and aligned with said support means, said channel having a depth to permit pivoting of said rockers. 